Monday musings By Catherine on 10/01/2007 04:42:00 PM
To keep up with the Joneses (verb): From Wiktionary
Do you ever feel like you're surrounded by people who just slog through life, placing one resistant foot in front of the other in the joyless pursuit of the Joneses? The general vibe of life seems to be, "Let's just get it over with." I, for one, would die of a stroke if I allowed myself to think like that.
I like the idea of living comfortably, but around here, it's different. There's a natural contrast between having no debt and having modest surroundings and the idea behind "Joneses." All around us, more and more particleboard house-in-a-boxes are popping up, in spite of an economy that predicts that lifestyle will be very, very difficult to maintain in the near future. The media is consumed by it, the people are consumed by it, and even children can fall into the trap.
As I reread this, I realize this little essay is going to get me on some McCarthy list, but whatever. They haven't managed to repeal free speech yet... I suppose that's something that contributes to the problem though, and increasingly our youth is being taught, No, you don't actually have the right to free speech. My students are studying for their Revolutionary War test this week. They're learning about Thomas Paine and all his Common Sense; Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin and George Washington, all of whom had faith in America as a nation of learners, dreamers, and philosophers. These were freethinking, intellectually curious men who worked toward a vision of an equal, learned nation. Yet increasingly, we're stifling the needs of the youth and finding ways to make everyone feel "special"-- perhaps the most disingenuous and dangerous path to choose, as it leaves us with relatively little to strive for.
Two weeks ago, this story hit the press, sparking the controversy yet again. One person got to the heart of this particular issue, but it does not address the problem on the whole:
"The growing sensitivity to political correctness has led some school districts to overreact to students bearing political symbols of any kind... Surely, sophisticated high school administrators should be able to differentiate between apparel that could cause a ruckus and those that are clearly patriotic in nature."Clearly! Unfortunately, the issue is more widespread than that. Censorship leads to quiet, and quiet inspires apathy... When left to our own devices, we're a slothful species-- and I'm no less guilty than anyone else, I just try to be a bit more conscious of it. The last thing we need in this country is more apathy. Disinterest and a lack of civic-minded individuals to institute change has gotten us into a war with a country we shouldn't have invaded, a President-- no, an entire administration-- who has blatantly lied to the American people, and a socialized education plan that ignores where help is needed most, because those places can't provide the results required to get the help. What kind of cycle are we perpetuating, here?
Isn't it enough that we're all struggling so hard to keep up with the Joneses? I bet we'd find it less important, if we'd look beyond the bubble.
If you're ready to join the Young American Angst Association, check out:
No Child Left Behind
National Coalition Against Censorship
Banned Books Week @ Amnesty International